Rugby Town recorded a morale-boosting win against Lichfield City, with Kobi Bivens's 56th minute strike proving to be the game's decisive moment.
It was a first victory in five outings for Grant Joshua's men, and also ended a run of three games without a goal, as Town looked to create a gap between them and the relegation zone.
Jack Concannon and Trey Charles replaced Teddy Rowe and Cairo Taylor in the starting line-up from Rugby's previous game - a 0-0 draw at Boldmere, and there were places on the bench for new signings midfielder Drew Lowe and Northampton Town academy prospect Archie Murray.
As part of an even opening to the game, Bivens put in a fairly threatening cross which looped up off a City defender before being gathered by keeper Brendon Bunn.
At the other end Marcus Bald spilled a wide delivery from Harvey Smith - with Josh Thomas putting the loose ball behind for a corner to prevent Jack Edwards pouncing on it, and then Leighton McMenemy's header was comfortably taken by Bald.
The visitors themselves had been in poor form in front of goal ahead of the fixture, but their four-match goal drought ended on twelve minutes courtesy of their former player Callum Griffin - who headed Edwards's free-kick past his own keeper with Lichfield skipper Joe Haines in close attendance.
Valley's equaliser seven minutes later was an excellent team effort though, with all eleven Town players involved in a twenty-pass move from one side of the pitch to the other, culminating in Bivens playing in Concannon - whose goal-bound prod was cleared off the line by McMenemy onto team-mate Jimmy Elkes to land nicely for Rivel Mardenborough to roll the ball home from close range.
Haines's low corner from the right then bounced across the face of Bald's goal and behind for a kick-out, before the hosts were handed the opportunity to take the lead after Elkes tripped Geoffrey Lundoloki in the box after the young full-back had initially burst into the area and seen his shot well-saved by Bunn.
Caine Elliott duly stepped to guide his spot-kick down the middle and into the net to the delight of the Valley faithful behind the goal. Bald pulled off a decent reaction save to deny Haines following a searching ball over the top of the Rugby defence from the influential Edwards, and then Lundoloki was across well to thwart Tom Brown.
Charles flashed one across the face of the goal, with Lichfield registering the final shot of the first half when Bald's diving save kept out an Edwards free-kick.
Harris helped behind Haines's cross from the left-hand-side shortly after the restart, with Harvey Smith levelling things again from the resulting Edwards corner with a strike on the turn after the ball had been headed back across the box to him. Brown's overhead flick bounced harmlessly wide, before Town stepped up a gear and looked to restore their advantage.
The goal soon came when Lichfield could only half-clear a Charles corner, with Concannon's speculative shot from thirty yards deflecting up to fall at Bivens's feet, and Rugby's recent recruit did well to manoeuvre the ball out before calmly dinking it over Bunn and into the net for his first goal for the club.
Charles flashed another cross beyond its intended target, before Elliott released Bivens with a long ball from deep inside his own half, but this time the striker's composure let him down and he blazed his effort way over.
Mardenborough's well-struck effort was blocked after Bivens had laid the ball back to him, with Harris's follow-up effort easily taken by Bunn, and another weak header from Harris was also comfortably gathered by the City keeper.
Edwards had a shot blocked in a rare attacking highlight for the visitors, before Charles also blazed over after sub Murray had broke quickly down the right.
A further low strike to the near post from Charles was saved by Bunn, and Mardenborough put his effort above the bar, before Mardenborough then almost picked out Bivens with a low cross after Nathan Kabeya had done to well to storm up the left-side of the pitch.
Elliott's free-kick was saved by Bunn as the home side continued to dominate, with Cairo Taylor and Mardenborough also both denied by further stops from the busy Bunn.
Another rapid Rugby counter involving Kabeya and Bivens saw Sam Tye presented with a decent chance to make the game safe, but he could only lift the ball wide of the post, with Taylor wasting a further opening after Town had found themselves with a numerical advantage going forward.
City's only opportunity late on saw sub Jamie Spiers crowded out in the box following another dangerous Edwards ball into a crowded penalty area.
Valley
Line-up: Bald; Kabeya, Lundoloki (Murray 45'+4), Harris, Thomas; Elliott, Griffin (Lowe 83'), Concannon (Tye 85'), Charles (Taylor 79'), Mardenborough, Bivens. Subs not used: Rowe. Booked: Concannon.
